There are many occasions where a user may want to be notified when his or her credit card is being used. For example, a user may want to receive an alert message regarding a recent transaction conducted out of the country, at an automated teller machine (ATM), or where the transaction exceeds a certain amount. When a transaction meets one of these criteria or alert triggers, the user may wish to have the resulting alert message sent to his or her mobile phone or email account.
In some situations, a user may want to receive an alert message differently based on the alert message's relative importance. For example, a user may make a minor gasoline purchase for $20. Because the purchase may be relatively unimportant, the user may wish to receive an alert message via email at the end of the day. The same user may also make a large electronics purchase for $1,000. Because the purchase may be relatively important, the user may want to receive a telephone call immediately following the purchase.
It would be desirable to improve upon existing alert messaging systems to make the delivery of alert messages more efficient and to optimize the use of system components in an alert messaging system.
Embodiments of the invention address these and other problems, individually and collectively.